My Top 5 Bold Predictions in 2015 #3 – Mirrorless Goes Mainstream

We’re up to day 3 of my 5-part series on the top 5 bold predictions for the visual arts industry in 2015. #5 was a huge surge in VOD. #4 was the beginning of the end of wedding DVDs and Blu-rays. Here’s #3.

#3 – Mirrorless Cameras Will Become Mainstream

Ever since Vincent Laforet’s now iconic Canon 5D Mark II video “Reverie” in 2009, DSLRs (Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras) have been the clear dominant players in the small filmmaker world. We have the term “DSLR Filmmaker” specifically because of this. But with the release of Panasonic’s GH4 and Sony’s A7s last year, all that has changed. The compact size, light weight, relatively low price, yet amazing features sets of these cameras is the pure embodiment of the now oft-used (if not over-used) term “game changer.”

This will be the year that the mirrorless camera de-thrones the DSLR as the go-to camera for “DSLR” filmmakers (here I’m using the term “DSLR” as filmmakers who use these kind of cameras in lieu of traditional digital cinema cameras). It’s fair to say that the most damaging blow in this battle was when Dave Dugdale of LearningDSLRVideo.com made his own bold and public decision to hock all his Canon gear in exchange for the GH4 and Sony A7s.

What This Means for You

If you shoot with traditional DSLRs like Canon or Nikon, realistically, I don’t see you giving that up. Chances are you’ve invested way too much in the glass. And if you’re also a pro photographer, it won’t make sense for you to leave your DSLR. But for those of you just entering the market, without a doubt, mirrorless should be the first cameras you look at.

Agree. If Canon and Nikon are smart, they’ll get more serious in the mirrorless market, but I’m not holding my breath. I’ve used Nikon for my stills work, but bought the GH4 in 2014 instead of a Nikon, and love it. One of the reasons, though, was that with a SpeedBooster adapter, I can use all of my Nikon glass on it, so it wasn’t a huge expense to make the switch.